The Last Dragon
by ShipMistress
Summary: The Last Unicorn AU. Hiccstrid. Hiccup is supposed to be the last dragon? No, that cannot be! He goes on a journey to find the other dragons - but might find more than he was looking for. Romance, Fluff, Angst, Heartbreak. Rating might change over time. NO bestiality!
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my latest (and probably utterly ridiculous) AU idea. Let's cover the basics first. This is a Hiccstrid story, so expect fun and fluff, heartbreak and angst.  
Next, I don't know yet whether this is going to stay T-rated or might get upgraded later on. So just a fair warning that it _might _get upgraded.  
****And one other thing here: I'm testing out a different way of writing a story. It's much compacter than what I usually write, little more than what I usually write as an outline. You've been warned.  
**

**So, on to the main point: The story! This is a _'The Last Unicorn' _AU, featuring Hiccup as _the last dragon._ But to give this all-clear right away: There won't be any bestiality in this story! (If you know the original story then you can guess what happens anyway.) **

**So... yeah... I hope someone will like it... ^^"**

**. o O o .**

**Chapter 1 — where a dragon goes on a journey.**

When the hunters left the forest, they didn't notice the shadow incredulously watching them from behind the trees, drawn in by their voices.

He was the last, the hunters had said. The last Night Fury to roam this world. The last dragon at all. But that couldn't be… could it?

No… there _had_ to be others! Surely they were just hiding from the humans that had become so numerous over the centuries, just like he was hiding too.

Hiccup cocked his black scaly head as his eyes followed the hunters out of his forest, internally laughing at their stupidity. Silly humans, what did they know about dragons? To them, his kind only existed in legends and fairy tales anymore, told around a campfire or to keep children from roaming the woods. Just because they hadn't seen any dragons in the better part of a century? Hah! That was ridiculous.

And yet, the thought refused to fade into oblivion. For days and weeks, Hiccup roamed his forest, just like he had done for all his life, chewing on what the hunters had said.

No more dragons? Was that possible?

After two more moons had passed, Hiccup made a decision. He would leave his forest, for the first time ever, and look for the other dragons. Maybe they had retreated into a far-away hidden land, away from the humans. Maybe they were living in hiding, afraid and cornered. Or maybe they were even captured, waiting for the one that could free them.

In the darkness of night, the Night Fury flew from one village to the other, disguising his appearance as that of a black dog to look for his brothers and sisters or to maybe overhear where they might be. It occurred to him that the humans wouldn't even _know_ if dragons lived among them. If they were hiding their appearance like he was, letting the humans see something they _expected_ to see, then it was no wonder those hunters had thought there were no dragons anymore. Untiring, he wandered on and on, searching the eyes of every animal he saw for that certain spark of intelligence. But there was nothing. Only real dogs, barely tamer than the feral wolves of his forest, cart ponies, and oxen. Once, he met a cat, certainly the most intelligent of all animals he'd seen on his journey so far. But all she could tell him was that he was supposed to ask the Sorcerer. Hiccup laughed at her, then wished her good luck with catching mice and left.

But after another week of fruitless searching, he returned to the cat. Asking her where he could find the Sorcerer could have been embarrassing, but of course, the cat had already forgotten that she'd talked to him before.

"The Sorcerer? The Sorcerer, the Sorcerer, out in the swamps he lives. But beware, beware, you might find more than you are looking for," she purred in a light sing-song, then continued to lick her paws.

Hiccup was amused by the cat's concern, but he took her advice. It took him three days, searching the vast swampland to the east until he found the odd building, half built onto a tree and covered with moss. To its side, a campfire was burning and a funny-looking old man leant over a book on a table.

"Now, now, big boy," the funny old man said when Hiccup approached him. "What is a pretty beast like you doing out here in this no man's land?" He patted Hiccup's head, clearly seeing nothing but the dog disguise.

Hiccup was disappointed. Was this the Sorcerer he'd been looking for? The one who was supposed to be able to help him? This doddery old man wasn't even able to _see_ him. Apparently, the cat had been stupid after all.

"Father? I'm back. I got the two rabbits you asked for, and even a deer in addition."

Hiccup and the old man turned their heads into the direction of the voice. There was another human, a girl, carrying a dead deer over her back, a bow slung over her shoulder, and a quiver from which two rabbits hung was attached to her waist.

"Oh, that'll last us a few days. Or… ah… maybe not. But look, Astrid, we have company. Would you mind getting him a bone and maybe some leftover meat from last night?"

The girl cocked her head and blinked, her long blond braid falling over her shoulder, but didn't react otherwise and did as her father had told her. Hiccup's mood fell even further. These humans were just as stupid as all the others he'd met, and certainly not able to help him. Grumbling, he tore into the roasted meat the girl had brought him. He gladly took the food, but would leave right after. The other dragons had to be _somewhere!_

"This tastes good, doesn't it?" the girl murmured as she watched him eat. She reached out to pat his head as well, even scratched him behind his ear flaps. That actually felt good, and with a low rumbling deep inside his body, Hiccup leaned into her touch. She chuckled, and let her hand move on, over his neck, around the ridges on his back, and-

"These are really beautiful!" she said, awe filling her voice as her hand glided along his wing.

_Wait, what?_

Hiccup practically jumped away from her, staring in a bit of a shock, but the girl only chuckled.

"Did you think I couldn't see what you are?" she asked, mirth gleaming in her eyes. They were blue, he noticed now, like the sky.

_[You can see me?]_ He hadn't _meant_ for his thoughts to project into her mind, but she nodded in response anyway.

"Yeah, I'm not easily tricked by any magic," she said, sounding as if there was more behind those words than just a simple statement. "Unlike my father over there. His magic is woven so deeply into his being that he hardly ever can tell reality and magic apart. What does he think you are?"

Bemused, Hiccup projected the picture of a large dog into her mind, making her chuckle again.

"I see. No wonder he instantly wanted to feed you. He _adores _dogs."

_[Aren't you afraid of me?]_ he asked, a little hesitantly. He might not be the biggest of dragons, but he was still big enough to eat her in one meal if he had to. And from what he remembered of his long life in his forest, humans didn't tend to react well when they saw his true form.

"Should I?" she asked, laughing at her own words and shook her head. "No, I'm not afraid of you. You haven't eaten us when you had the chance, so I guess you won't do it now either after we fed you."

Making a strange snorting sound, Hiccup had to agree with her logic.

"Anyway... I assume there's a reason you came out here? If you need Father's magic or advice for whatever reason, then I suggest you wait until he finished his calibrations. He won't listen to or look at anything else until he's done. How about you tell me what brought you here instead? I'm curious, you know?" She settled against his side, expectantly looking up.

Hiccup was reluctant at first, not exactly used to talk to anyone. But he had to admit that he was a little fascinated by this courageous girl. Astrid. So, in lack of anything else to do and with renewed hope that these humans might be able to help him after all, he spent the better part of an hour answering her questions. It felt strange to do so but also oddly soothing, sharing his concerns.

Once he was done explaining that he was looking for the other dragons and hoped the Sorcerer could help him, Astrid nodded.

"Yes, I think you did right in coming here. We haven't seen any dragons in ages either, but somehow, I feel like Father might know something after all."

Making the old man understand was amusing. It took Astrid quite a while to convince her father that the occasional image of the night-black dragon was actually the truth and not just his wishful thinking. But once the Sorcerer had understood, there was no further delay.

"Oh, for all the lost chicken tows!" he muttered, awe filling his eyes as he finally accepted the truth. "I can hardly believe it. I hadn't thought to ever see a living dragon again in my life. I thought he had them all."

At that, Hiccup perked up. _[Who has them all?]_ he asked eagerly, projecting his question for all around him to hear. _[Do you know where the other dragons are? Tell me, old man, I need to know!]_

So the Sorcerer told him. He told him of Grimmel the Grisly, a dark magician, how he'd, long ago, made it his goal in life to capture and own all dragons. "I and the others of our order tried to stop him, of course," the Sorcerer said. "But by the time we were ready to face him, he already had quite a number of them captured. You see, he draws power from them. They are all in a cave beneath his castle, bound by a magical crystal that feeds on their strength. Lucky for us, he is content with enjoying his collection and has no desire to conquer the world with his powers."

_[So they really are captured? And nobody ever tried to free them?] _There was a spark of anger in Hiccup, confusing him. He wasn't used to such strong emotions.

"Of course we tried!" the Sorcerer defended himself. "But Grimmel had grown too strong, and we were unable to stand against him. He killed us, one after the other, and by now, I am the last of my order. Just like you are the last of the dragons."

That silenced Hiccup. _[Forgive me. I am sorry you had to pay such a high price for a fight that shouldn't have been yours.]_

The Sorcerer accepted his words, but the girl, Astrid, didn't seem to be appeased.

"So that's it?" she exclaimed. "We're just going to leave it like that, with the dragons captured and that man holding nigh-on-infinite power? What if he learns that there is a dragon missing from his _collection?_ Or what if he decides that he wants to be the _only _living Magician?"

Her concerns were valid, of course, but then Hiccup hadn't intended to just let the matter drop anyway. In short order, they decided that they had to try and free the dragons. They didn't have much of a plan yet, but the Sorcerer was confident that, with the help of a dragon himself, a Night Fury no less, they at least had a chance. Because Night Furies, as every child knew from the old stories, were the strongest and deadliest of all dragons, their princes and kings. He still would probably only be able to hold against Grimmel for a little while. But maybe, _'a little while'_ would be all they needed.

**. o O o .**

**So, that was that. I'm really curious about what you might think about this. So... yeah... Feedback is highly welcome! :D**


	2. 2 - Where A Dragon Walks On Man's Road

**AN: Okay, this took way longer than I'd expected. I feel sorry for that, but then, this story isn't meant to be updated regularely.  
**

**And trying to answer that question in the reviews... This story won't stick _very_ closely to the original, and if you've ever read others of my stories and/or the AN in those, you know that I'm generally a sucker for happy endings. **

**. o O o .**

**Chapter 2 ****– Where A Dragon Walks On Man's Road**

After the decision to go against Grimmel and free the dragons had been made, Hiccup wanted to directly jump up into the sky and fly off. Now that he had a goal, a plan, waiting any longer was jarring to the dragon. However, he needed these humans to reach his goal, and it still took a while before they could start their journey. The Sorcerer, whose name turned out to be Elkhart, and his daughter needed time to pack all those things they didn't want to leave behind and to prepare provisions. So Hiccup rolled up next to the house, watched them, grumbling to himself, and tried to find solace in at least not having to disguise his appearance as long as he was at the Sorcerer's home. But he was glad when, over one and half days later, they were finally ready to get going.

It was a slow journey. Hiccup hadn't really known just how slow travelling on foot was until he had two human travel companions. Sure, he probably could have carried them both on his back and maybe even their backpacks, too, with how the Sorcerer had enchanted them to be lighter. But the old man had advised them to not act suspiciously in any way. If they wanted to have even the slightest chance against Grimmel and his power, then they would need every advantage they could get. And that certainly included the element of surprise.

The dragon could see the wisdom in the human's words, for a dragon in flight was sure to draw more attention than a normal travelling group. But the slow pace and the regular need for rests took their toll on his patience, not helped by the fact that he needed to keep himself disguised at any time, for nobody knew when they might meet other travellers on the road.

There was one thing in his new companions' favour though. They refused to leave him outside when they rested for the night at an inn. Instead, they were content with sleeping at the stables, which the innkeepers gladly allowed so long as their _big scary dog_ didn't frighten the horses.

After a week of travelling like this, Hiccup became more restful. His brothers and sisters had spent many years in that man's captivity. What difference would another couple of weeks make? This rescue mission was important, _too_ important to risk it for unnecessary hast. And once he had accepted this truth, his mood lightened considerably. In some fashion, he even learned to enjoy the journey.

For as long as he remembered, humans had always made him curious. They had no fire inside them to keep them warm and no fur on the outside either. They had no claws or fangs to hunt or to defend themselves. And yet, they were not only able to survive but their population was growing constantly. Travelling with the Sorcerer and his daughter brought enlightenment to some of his questions. For the first time ever, the dragon noticed all the tools the humans made, not only swords or bows and arrows which they use for hunting but also pots and scissors and tongs and gears. It was fascinating and intriguing. He regularly asked his companions about the things they saw, making for great conversations on their long journey.

"That's called a scythe," Elkhart explained as they wandered past a field where several people were hard at work. "We use it to harvest some sorts of crops. These people were scything hay for the winter."

_[But you don't eat hey,]_ Hiccup commented, bemused. _[Why would you do something like this if it doesn't give you anything? It looked to be exhausting.]_

That seemed to amuse Elkhart. "You're right there, on both point," he said, chuckling. "It is quite exhausting work for something we can't even digest. But it is not for us anyway. It is for our livestock. Cattle, sheep, horses; they all need this hay as food for the winter."

_[So you gather food for your animals so they can live through the winter and you can slaughter and eat them later?]_

This time, both Elkhart and Astrid laughed, and after a moment, Hiccup joined in, barking out sounds of amusement. Oh, he had understood what Elkhart had explained, and he had to admit that it was a smart move. The humans were taking care of the other creatures around them, even if they ended up eating them. It wasn't unlike what he did to the animals of the forest, taking care of them and keeping them safe from outer threats, but feeding on them when he needed.

Over time, Hiccup began to understand the humans better, both in general and his two companions specifically. Elkhart was happy to explain every device and practice they encountered, like the big smithy in one village and what it got used for. More often than not though, Astrid had to interrupt him when he got caught in too many details or had to get him back on topic as he was easily sidetracked.

Astrid, on the other hand, was the better option when he had a question about human behaviour. From her, he learned for example that a handful of fresh flowers given as a gift usually were meant as a sign of affection while a bunch of dried herbs hanging over the entrance to a house were supposed to ward off evil spirits.

He learned that the easy way in which the Sorcerer handled making a campfire or drying their clothes by magic was something Astrid enjoyed teasing him with. According to her, he wouldn't even be capable of getting dressed without using his magic.

And he learned that Elkhart the Sorcerer really was the last of his kind beside their enemy, for he had no other offsprings besides his daughter, and she hadn't inherited his talent for magic. Oh, she had her own gift in being immune to most magic and also being able to sense certain spells, but she couldn't wield it herself.

**. o O o .**

One night, when they all once more slept in the fairly empty stables of an inn, Hiccup suddenly woke up. There were noises, hushed voices and careful steps, giggling. His eyes, that could see in the dark of night just as well as in broad daylight, spotted two figures sneaking inside. At first, he felt alarmed. Did they want to attack them? Had the dark magician learned about them and had sent assassins? But he quickly discovered that his worries had been for nothing. The two humans, a female and a male of young age, climbed up the ladder to the hayloft, and soon other noises beside giggling were audible, noises that confused the dragon.

Puzzled, he moved closer to where Astrid lay and nudged her arm with his nose.

"Hm, what?" came her sleepy response, and she turned to see who had woken her.

_[Listen,] _Hiccup told her. _[There are other humans here. But I can't tell what they are doing.]_

Astrid listened into the darkness, then pressed her hand to her mouth to smother her laughter.

_[What are they doing? It sounds weird.]_

Astrid gave him an amused look, then pursed her lips, thinking. "They are… mating," she eventually whispered, so low that no human would be able to hear her but loud enough for his sensitive ears to understand her perfectly well.

Hiccup nodded, understanding but still wondering about this odd human behaviour. _[I see. But why were they sneaking around then? And why did they need to go up there to mate? Is it another human custom with dead plants?]_

He could feel Astrid's body vibrate with laughter, even as she managed to stay silent.

"No, nothing like that," she whispered back, her words ringing with amusement. "It's just… humans are weird when it comes to mating. Complicated. There are rules to it that even I don't always understand. First, humans don't mate in public. Mating it something private, intimate, only to be shared between the participants and for nobody else to see. And it's not something done with just _anyone _either. You're supposed to be certain that the person you're mating with is the one you want to raise possible offspring with, too. Because human children stay for a long time with, usually, both their parents."

Hiccup cocked his head. He had understood her words, but they still didn't make much sense to him. _[But why would they be mating if not to produce offspring?]_ he asked, puzzled. Humans never ceased to baffle him.

To him, his question had been perfectly sensible, but Astrid quietly laughed again nonetheless.

_[Did I do something wrong?]_

"No, no," she assured him. "It's just, well, the same as before. Humans are weird when it comes to this. In most cases, mating isn't meant to produce offspring, but instead, they do it because… well, because it's fun."

She shrugged, and Hiccup decided to leave it at that. He still didn't feel as if any of this made sense, but that was true for many things regarding humans, and he'd already accepted that there were things he would never understand. Like the odd jumble of people in the middle of the village the other day which Astrid had called dancing, or how the people they met on the road could miss that Astrid's hand occasionally resting on his back was _much_ too high to be patting a dog.

Spring turned into summer as they wandered on until they reached the land where Grimmel ruled. Hiccup felt a shudder running down his spine as they climbed a hill and then, all of a sudden, a city was visible in the distance. It was a vast city, bigger than any other human settlement he'd seen so far, hundreds of houses built side by side with a big castle looming over it.

"Here we are," the Sorcerer said, sounding tense, angry even. "The city of Aerilon, where my order was destroyed and where the dark magician still keeps hundreds of innocent creatures captive. But we will put an end to all this!"

Hiccup growled in agreement, but when he was about to go ahead, to start the last part of their journey, Astrid stopped him.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were darting around, squinting. "There's something wrong here…"

Both Hiccup and Elkhart watched her in puzzlement as she walked back and forth, right and left, looking highly concentrated. Eventually, she nodded to herself and turned to address her father.

"Is it possible that Grimmel is somehow observing the border? Something feels different over here."

The Sorcerer's brows furrowed. He made a step backwards, closed his eyes, and raised his hands as if feeling for something invisible. Then he nodded. "Yes… It seems like he is tracking who enters his land. I wonder…" He threw Hiccup a quick glance, then he sighed. "This might actually be a problem."

_[Why?] _Hiccup inquired, impatiently. They were so close. It would be so easy to jump into the air, fly over toward the castle in less than a minute, and attack the dark magician. Grimmel wouldn't even know what was coming.

"I can imagine what you are thinking, my friend," Elkhart said in an oddly soothing tone. "But we _mustn't_ barge in on him without a plan. We don't know where he is right now, don't know where exactly the dragons are kept. Before we can attack, we need information."

The dragon growled. _[So what now? Am I supposed to wait here at his front door until you found those pieces of information? How long will that take? The journey there and back again alone will take you two days. I **can't** wait here that long!]_

"He's right, Father," Astrid threw in, glancing around in discomfort. Her hand around her bow over her shoulder tightened. "He can't stay here. Even if I stay with him, it would be too dangerous. Suspicious." She pondered a moment, then asked, "Can _you_ even enter? Wouldn't he detect your magic, too?"

The Sorcerer shook his head. "No. I should be able to mask it well enough. It means that I won't be able to use my magic at all while we're in Aerilon, but that shouldn't be a problem." Both Astrid and Hiccup gave him flat stares. "Okay, okay, it _will_ be difficult. But I can manage if the alternative is being captured and killed," he grumbled.

_[Can you do that for me too? Mask me from his view?]_ Hiccup asked impatiently. He didn't like just standing around here.

But, again, the Sorcerer shook his head. "That won't be enough. I can't hide what I am, only cover my magic, as if I was locking it away somewhere deep inside me. It's a bit like your natural disguise. It wouldn't change what you are, just how you appear, and that wouldn't be enough to trick this spell."

Hiccup nodded, understanding.

"And… if you _do_ change what he is?" Astrid suddenly asked. She looked hesitant, reluctant even, her hands shaking.

Hiccup cocked his head, intrigued by her strange reaction. He also noticed that the Sorcerer did barely better, blanching at her words. His mouth opened and closed a few times without him ever uttering a word.

_[What does that mean?] _he asked after a while, tired of waiting for the humans to come to a decision. For a race that lived for only such a short time, they certainly were prone to wasting _incredible_ amounts of it.

"Using magic is a complicated matter," Elkhart eventually replied, sounding tired. "It's not easy to… to _command_ it. I can only – how can I phrase it – I can only express a wish, an intent, and then I have to lend my body to the magic for it to flow through me and let it find its own way to fulfil what I asked for. I can specify my intent, channel the magic and thereby make it easier. But that only works with simple things or when I _really_ know what to do. But actually, physically transforming you into something else, something the border magic won't register as something unusual… Well, that's will take_ a lot_ of magic, and there's no way of channelling it. I…" he paused, and licked his lips, thinking, then nodded. "I think I can do it. But I won't be able to guide the magic in any way. You might end up becoming a mouse, or… or a sparrow. Something the border magic won't detect as unusual, something that'll be inconspicuous when we're in the city looking for information."

Hiccup cringed at the idea of turning into a mouse. Mice were food. No, not even that! They were the food of what his food hunted as food. Shuddering, he turned away from his friends, angrily pacing in front of the invisible border. There had to be a better way, something less degrading and humiliating.

"Maybe it won't be something like that though," Astrid gently interrupted his pondering. "Maybe you will become an eagle, flying high above through the sky. Or you'll become this big black dog you always pretend to be for real. Whatever the magic thinks works best. And you can end the spell whenever you need to. Right?" She turned to throw her father a questioning look.

"Right," the Sorcerer confirmed. "It would be similar to what I'd do with my magic. Your real self would still be there, locked inside you, and you can call it back whenever you need it. But keep in mind that that will immediately alert our enemy, so you better keep that for when it's absolutely necessary."

Grumbling, Hiccup looked at them both, then kept on pacing. He didn't like this plan; something about it felt… off. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a better one. They _had _to free the dragons, and they _had_ to get in there first without getting noticed.

_[All right,]_ he eventually gave in. _[Do what needs to be done.]_

They didn't waste any more time. Both Astrid and Elkhart took a handful of steps away from him, then the Sorcerer raised his hands, eyes closed, and began to mumble incoherently. At some point, Hiccup thought he detected the words "Magic, do as you will, do as you will," and he honestly couldn't say that they filled him with any form of confidence.

But before he could think about it or even stop the Sorcerer, a cloud of light was forming around him. It became brighter and brighter, blinding even. Then it turned hot. As a dragon, Hiccup was immune to fire and burns, but this heat was different. It seeped into his body, burning, melting him from the inside. It _hurt!_ He wanted to scream, to tell them to stop. But he wasn't able to reach them. Nothing existed anymore besides the heat and the light.

He couldn't even say how long it took. It could have been seconds or years, he wouldn't know. But when it ended, he felt weaker than he'd ever felt before in his life. All strength had left him and his limp body slumped to the ground as if it was dead. From somewhere came hands, turning and lifting him, and a voice, familiar yet different, not as vibrant as he remembered it yet somehow sharper and more focused.

"Hiccup? Hiccup, can you hear me? Are you all right?"

_I'm okay,_ he thought, grimacing at how everything felt so weird, so different. But he was okay. The pain was ebbing away and his limbs felt more capable with every second. Slowly, he was able to open his eyes and look up into Astrid's comforting face.

"Hiccup! Oh, you're awake, that's good. Can you hear me?"

_Yes, loud and clearly,_ he threw back, irked by her repeated inquiry. Whatever they had done to him, it had worked. He just needed a few minutes to get used to it.

"Please, answer me, Hiccup. Are you okay?"

Hiccup paused. Hadn't she heard him? Was something off with his thoughts? Groaning, he remembered what they had explained to him, that other living beings weren't able to project their thoughts as dragons did. He moved his lower jaw, testingly opening and closing his mouth. He tried to get out any form of noise, but all it did was making him cough.

"Slowly," Astrid advised him gently. She reached to her hip, to her waterskin, and a moment later held it out for him. "Here, try to drink something. But carefully."

Hiccup followed her advice and took a few sips of water. It felt wonderful on his parched throat. "Thanks," he croaked.

Astrid relaxed noticeably. "Are you all right?" she asked again, more gently now than before. There was an odd concern in her eyes, one he didn't really understand.

"Yes?" He was all right… wasn't he? Everything felt dull and muzzled, different, his mind feeling as if enclosed in mist. But at least he didn't feel pain anymore. He looked around, trying to clear his head, when his eyes fell on Astrid's waterskin… _and on his hands around it!_

"W-what am I?" he gasped, disbelievingly. He obviously was no mouse, that much was clear, but…

Carefully, as if to show rather then tell him, Astrid laid her hand over his, and when he looked up at her again, he saw weird things there. Fear. Pain. Sorrow.

"You are human."

**. o O o .**

**Duh duh duuuh...**


End file.
